Evening. >> Welcome to the town of Air Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at 6 PM in the air town hall. This is a hybrid meeting. This meeting of the finance committee will be held in
person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation via Zoom is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting hearing will not be suspended or
terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with a particular interest in a specific item on this agenda should make plans for inperson versus virtual attendance accordingly. This meeting
will be live on Zoom. The public may access the proceedings by joining Zoom meeting ID 978772822 or by calling 9292056099. For additional information about remote participation, please contact Carly Anteneellis, assistant town manager
atmir.mma. us or 978-77282202 extension 100 prior to the meeting. Okay, I'll call the uh meeting to order. Okay. Uh the first item is approval of minutes.
Okay, we will pick pick that up again. >> My apologies. >> It's busy time of the year. Um so uh we will pick that uh our next pick that up at our next meeting. So uh
committee updates. Um there's nothing on uh rate review. Um there'll be one more rate review meeting to uh yeah next Tuesday. next Tuesday to finalize the uh
rates that have been tenatively discussed um for presentation to the uh select board and public hearing. Okay. Um last night was the capital planning uh meeting and if you
look I've got a handout. Um >> do you think we have this online? >> Yep. Let me just work my magic here. though it was this was actually this handout was from the meeting last night also.
Uh but this is the uh final items that were um voted on by the capital planning to recommend to the select board uh uh for their uh review. Uh so uh I think we
saw this last week. >> Yeah. just uh sorry about that. >> Oh yeah. >> So if you want to just take I I'll just go down and hit some real quick big highlights. Um we're looking at uh again
this is capital uh ambulance replacement and um if you notice there's some highlighting on this. Um so if you look you'll see that ambulance and the storm water drain upgrades are in blue. And if
you look down at the bottom, you'll see those are going to be coming out of their respective uh enterprise fund. In other words, ambulance out of Andy Pilland's enterprise fund and uh storm water out of storm water enterprise
fund. Um so, uh then I'm not going to go to hit every single one. Um but there's those two. Um there was oh the one thing was there was
a request from the parks department for one uh for a it was a 1.2 million placeholder for the uh sandy pond um bath house uh recommendation. Uh so that
has been deferred because they don't have hard numbers yet. that that's been heard that's been taken off. Um, and actually you don't see on this copy, but there was especially down towards the DPW about five items that were uh pushed
off until 2028. Um, so the uh departments did a good job of uh going over this. Um, so I think the other again more high ticket items is again
down at sewer fund. Uh, there's a 500 inflow infiltration repairs. Um, and then down to the water fund, your annual water man rehabilitation replacement and water security improvements. And again, those are all
coming out of the enterprise funds. Um, oh, the other thing I did what that was interesting was the uh, oh yeah, the last three items uh, underwater were the PAS um, and other
um, water media filtering items. In any case, you'll see they're in a olive color and those are all being funded um out of the PFSA settlement money that the town received. So those uh 520 those
three items are being funded by that. So uh so that's the total of it. Uh Barbara actually added on this more uh today. If you look to the right of the grand total is the last year's capital
request. So you can see that they went down almost by half to this year. So those are what the capital planning reviewed uh and is voted to recommend to the select court.
All right. So that's for capital planning. Uh any questions on that or >> Mr. Chair? >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, >> just two things. One is Jyn is on Zoom just so you know. >> Okay. And um yeah, you sort of pointed I just wanted to point out for the fincom
and a special thanks to capital planning and all the departments in Barbara. But as you can see given the tight budgetary situation, the capital plan total has been reduced by over 4 million in total
or over 50% reduction in and just the key number if you look at that general fund total last year it was 1.6 6 million. You know, historically the general fund impact the target we'd want to get no more than a million and it's
coming in at 646 uh,000. So um definitely a lot of work um to stabilize the capital plan taking into account future projects and also trying to minimize you know further
impact uh to both the tax rate and the respective um rates in the enterprise funds. So and this will all be subject to town meeting um approval in the spring. Thank you.
>> Good. Thank you, Robert. Okay. Um, all right. If there's nothing else, we'll move on to um the next item on the agenda, which is the fire department and ambulance enterprise. Um, just before we
get into that, uh, Jeremy, did you get a a copy of that uh ambulance enterprise fund summary? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Um that's something that uh Barbara prepared for us which is sort of a and I have to caveat uh that this is a
I just asked her this afternoon just give us a quick snapshot of the ambulance enterprise fund. So that is what it is a snapshot uh at draft stuff. So Chief Johnson and assistant chief Janice
Kevitz that was pretty good. That was pretty good. I think you would think I was more people I should have. >> No, great. Thanks for having us. Um, so we have a brief presentation about 10 slides as the chairman had asked us to. We put the slides and they had some
questions after capital about maybe a little more knowledge on the fleet and the ambulance side. So the deputy added those slides in too. So yeah, you can go to the next one, Robert. I think the first one was up emergency management director. As you can see, it's only up 1.53 and that was just a matter of uh on
the emergency management salary uh little increase in the stipen I get to be that director. So that's pretty straightforward unless you have any questions on that one. No. Okay, next one please.
>> Uh the fire omnibus uh total of 2.7. Uh, as you'll see, there's one red mark, and we just looked that up, and that was cuz that amount was swapped to a different line. So, that's why it's shown a decrease. And other than that, pretty much that one's all contractual,
you know, that you see. There's nothing else. There might be some minute stuff that uh that is included in some of those lines, but otherwise, it's just a 2.7 >> uh for now. >> Slight increases in some of the service contracts we have. Most of it's
contractual. Guess that was good. Please. Uh the chairman had asked after uh we had you know as we discussed we had a fire prevention vehicle on last night's capital and some of the questions come up and the chairman had
asked if we could add that. So that's kind of a snapshot on where we're at as you'll see. I think you get pictures of them too. >> Yeah, there's 15 of them on there. >> And I think it's a cool retro. That's the old firehouse of course back in the day. >> Well, that isn't the current
slightly different fleet. >> So, this is the one that's >> Yeah, that's just an older picture. Yeah. With with the fleet back in the day. >> So, if you go to the next one, it'll show your structural trucks first. >> Oh, okay. Cool. We got pictures. >> So, you end up with three structural
engines. So, the the one on the left top, that's the newest, and the one in the center is just showing the two new ones together. They're a 20 and 20. 20 and the 24. Yep. >> And the one to the right is what we use as our spare. So that's the one housed and brought in. It's only used when one of the other two are out of service.
>> That's a 93. >> Yep. >> Your ladder trucks a 96. Do it be replaced if it's on order. >> Is that the one coming? >> Yep. Doing the fall. >> Is that does Groten Fire Department have access to that if they need it or is it parked somewhere? It's parked in a
station they don't use, but we have an agreement that if they also have a truck out of service that we go back and forth. >> Yeah. And of course, they can move it if they need to pull it out. >> We owned uh any land in Grten, right, to park these things. >> Station 3 in West Groten's been closed for years. So, it's just storage for
them. >> So, they were, you know, able to house that for us, which is helpful. >> Cuz then it's plugged in. It's got air. It's out of the weather garage. >> Mhm. for a 94 it keeps taking care of it. >> So the other picture you got to put that's your uh 16 that's the rest of the
truck. So that's all of your structural. >> Yep. Which has been they're all replaced. Not nothing in the future at all on that end. >> Yeah. One more. That'll be your ambulances. So your we carry four licenses like we talked to the day with capital. Okay.
>> Metacar is the one on the left. That's the newest that does all the the ALS intercepts. Now that was funded out of the state funds. you know, the the show of mitigation money last year, I think it was uh the $90,000 model. Yep. And once you load all the equipment, that is very expensive. You know, carries two
full sets of ALS gear. So, you know, both cardiac monitors, two vents, it's got everything. Um, then on the right, it's your two transport ambulances. They're a 16 and an 18. Very much the same truck, just two years apart. One of
them's due to be replaced this year. one is on order should be delivered this >> uh summer fall >> fall. >> Um and then the you see the old chief's car that carries the fourth license that we use as the spare. So if one of the three primaries is out of service that
truck can be loaded with a set of ALS equipment we use as an intercept car. So if it's you know can do mutual aid still as intercept but it's primarily the thought for us was if we get a call in town and we call rotten I get a BS truck I can at least provide a service to the
patients. >> So those are the four. >> So uh Jeremy just quick question. Um >> so technically I I I've learned over the year am are these ambulances or actual I mean does
ambulance mean that it's it's completely all the ambulances. >> Oh, okay. Okay. >> Their licenses, they class them, you know, class 5 is non-transport. That's what the two cars are going to be. >> And the other ones are >> class one, right? >> Yeah. So, the vehicles, you look at the
Suburban and the Tahoe, those are non-transport. The big boxes transport people. >> Okay. Gotcha. >> So, one, they just transport the paramedics and equipment. The bigger boxes actually transport the patient. >> Okay. Plus, I think but the other thing
I was curious, it has all of the high-tech equipment that you use. >> Yeah. But both of the transport trucks have the same ALS equipment that those cars have as well as all the required BLS, >> you know. But what's be >> so all the bandages, the oxygen, the
all the all of the BS equipment that any of our EMTs can use or we would meet up with another town that they would have >> and then the the cars only carry the advanced equipment. They don't cuz you could never fit all. >> So the like if two ambulances are in
Lemonster, say, and you get a call for ALS, you send them one of the cars, >> you So you just stay there until an actual ambulance can show up. We meet typically a a transport ambulance is dispatched at the same time. So hopefully hopefully they're meeting you there. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> And we try to we try to do that. It's not just when the ambulances are out. If we get an ALS call out of town, that medical response for us is trying to preserve that transport truck to the town. So that's the idea is to take trying to take the mileage off the more expensive,
you know, the the non-transport car. You're talking under $100,000. the ambulance, you know, what was the debt exclusion this year? 570, >> you know, so we're trying to trying to keep the mileage off the higher expense vehicles, you know, keep it on. >> And we were we were fortunate enough the
vehicle on the left got we got some impact funds from the hospital when it closed. Um, so the 250,000 that we were given was totally put towards that between the car and the equipment, we spent everything on it and that's what so that was cost. So that that is
something I think we always thought of something to do but we just didn't have the funds or you know to move forward with it. So this gave us that capability to the deputy's point. It just saves the wear and tear on a half a million dollar ambulance and we can drive a car around instead.
>> So now the new ambulance that we under capital requested will that be a third one or >> Yeah, it'll be one of it'll be a box ambulance. >> Okay. We're going to try to retain another license so that that box will become a spare housed in Devon
potentially. >> Potentially. Yep. >> Okay. So, we're going to have then three. So, if we look next year only is going to be three box trucks, >> but only at the same deal at the same like you see four up there now only three used at the same time. That's what we have for equipment. We don't have
enough personnel most days to staff three. But we we we use them on call back and and all that. So the the box one's going to be stored elsewhere out of service. If we have an ambulance go down for maintenance or you know something broke, we can go get out of storage and have it back in service in a
matter of hours, you know, so that the town's not without a truck for, you know, so we had an ambulance down for a week just a month or two ago doing repairs. >> Yeah. Or there was a >> fills in that gap >> and and at least that's going to be our approach. Um, as I spoke at Capital,
those two ambulances are a 16 and an 18. They both have like 104,000 on one and 106, let's say, on the other. That's something we've never had ambulances that were over 100,000 miles before. >> And to give give you an idea, I think I ran 25 numbers. Um, we just run them in
a set order. So, A2 was always parked ahead of A1. Um, just because it we were trying to even off the mileage for a while. So A2 did 1,281 calls last year where A1 did 507. The Metacar hit 285,
car 3 hit 284 and engine 2 actually carried 11 cuz we used to carry a license on that car for a while on that engine. We've since moved that license to the car and that's why there's an overlap. So, we're trying to disperse the calls to get them to wear evenly and try to
wear the the less expensive ones more. But, and if I could sum up the ambulance stuff, it's still we're still learning from the hospital closing what used to work before, meaning we'd replace an ambulance every 10 years, have lower mileage, say 80 something thousand. Now,
we were caught with a 30-day window to figure it out. And that's what we've been doing the last 18 months, realizing the repairs are a lot more. You know, they need oil changes more often, more tires, you know, just the wear and tear is much more. Um, but we do have an
ambulance coming this fall. Um we'll see how capital moves forward with the second ambulance and we'll kind of rather than buying an ambulance we used to think every five years that model you know that number might shrink but you know at least we'll have a good starting point with two you know plenty of
equipment that's newer and we can be able to dictate like when we need to change them might be four years rather than five >> but certainly having two over 100,000 is concerning but but help is on the way. >> Yeah, we might space them back out. >> Yep. Okay.
So, I I know this is sort of a general question that comes up a lot. Um, and you'll have to excuse me if you're repeating yourself for the 19th time sort of thing. Um, but so, and things have changed now with the hospital
closure is going much further, taking a lot longer. um it puts a lot more pressure on you guys and the the equipment and then hence the town as well. Have any other surrounding
towns that haven't had as much capability as they're doing? Have have any of them talked about stepping up and you know getting an ambulance to because you know
if we're all in this together sort of thing. Has there been has there been anything? >> I can give you a couple offerings. I'm sure the deputy can too. I know Devon's took some of their money and sent some of their staff to become paramedics. Their expectation is they would go to the paramedic level in the next few
months. Uh, you know, if it comes to fruition, but that's that's their plan anyways. Um, Groten, I think they're looking at maybe to be an advanced level. Um >> they tried to hire additional staff last year and they're trying to do it again. >> Yeah. Uh yeah, the town of Harvard went
to the advanced level with some of their staffing. So certainly everybody's done what they financially can, I think. So the answer would be yes. >> Similar to us, Graten ended up with a higher amount. They ended up with 990. So you'll see at least for 18 months, they'll have the ability to make some
changes immediately, you know, and then whatever the their budget can sustain. >> Yeah. Um and then all of these communities kept some form of impact fund. You know, they started with a base of 150 200 went from there based on what they thought the actual impact of that
community was. >> So there'll be some changes. >> Yeah. >> And what those are. >> Yeah. So the 250 that bought that car was basically for capital outlay and I couldn't speak to all the communities what they did with it, but we we did what we thought was the best for our
town. And then maybe I can get back to your question maybe even more if we can explain a little bit more about the impact fund that we get for um from the state as well. Um but I think if we get to that last slide we'll be able to answer that question a little bit at least on the labor side for sure. >> I think the thing we didn't include in
is if you when you look at that you're like oh we have four ambulances we're good you you have to remember the conversation we had last year where that our shift is four each ambulance requires two people so we can staff two ambulances that's it you know and then it's call back. So during the week, if
the chief and I are there, the fire prevention lieutenants in, we we potentially, depending on which ambulance goes out first, we may get that third on the road. If it's an ALS call, not the three of us are not paramedics. So if but if it happens to be that that that intercept car goes out
with two you know two of our employees and then either the ambulance goes out and we can then staff that third truck pretty readily but that after hours when the admin staff goes home that's then falls to the call department or some kind of call back for off duty
personnel. So that's where we're looking now with the current impact money. We'll talk about that you know a little later. Great. Thank you. >> And then that's the rest. So you get a mix of the top left and right are your
two forestry units and the bottom center is your um what we call service one. It's just kind of the utility truck. It does the paw and runs to the dump, comes to the fires and picks up the dirty hose. You name it, it does it. Um and then the admin cars are the other three. So the deputies bottom left, that's
mine. The chief's in the the center top. And then the five venture lieutenant. That's the current car he's driving that we're trying to replace this year through capital. >> It's car three, >> correct? >> No, that's car two. >> Y >> the old chief's car they call
>> car three. Yeah. >> Yeah. And you can skip the next one, Robert. I must have forgot to delete a slide. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. As you can see, we did uh 3356 on the total runs. Um, last year we did
3,8. So we had a difference of 338. Just to give you some reference, it's about nine calls a day. >> You did more this year than last year. >> Yeah, it always goes up. >> Yeah, it always goes up. Yeah. >> Yeah. The what I the one line I did look at was the station coverages. Uh, last
year we were about 203, which is one of two things. It's either us going to another community or it's us just looking for coverage for the time of air, meaning that we're out on multiple incidents at the same time. Um, so last year was 203, this year was 339. So it's
a big chunk of that, you know, 3356. So it's another 136 times, you know, in the last calendar year that we we happen to have one, two, three, maybe more incidents all at six times we're looking for help. >> And if you look at those, you know,
predominantly EMS of course. So if you look at that, we average like 9.1 sick call to nine calls a day. And you know, you think they're gone an hour to two hours each time, two people. It's a lot of time away from the station. It just puts that in a little perspective.
>> And that's what that's what the money was last year. We went after was it 50,000 we gashed that? >> Yeah. >> Additional >> to fill that gap. >> Yeah. From the call back. >> That's why that additional overtime was was expected to cover those times. >> Yeah. And we and these, you know, we post on social media, you know, when
these things come out, um, you know, so everybody can take a look and see what we're doing. I think they get done monthly, too. >> Yeah. On a social media so people know what's going on. >> That looks like two or three fires a month. >> We had a few fires last year. We're not
the six or anything, but it was busy. Yeah. But but EMS runs it predominantly. I can think of, you know, I >> I guess if you count where we go to places, too. Yeah. busy. >> Any questions on the incident?
>> No. >> Okay. A little bit on the ambulance article. I think on that uh I think it was the services line. Yeah. >> It stayed about the same, but that's only because we had a one is that the
line we had the onetime fees. So, um, so that got taken out. So, that's increased a little bit, but you won't see any adjustment because the one-time purchase was taken out. So, >> it looks balanced. Increase in in contracts this year was just shy of 11,000, >> but last year we had to buy a stair
chair. >> So, that that one time purchase came on come close to balancing out. >> So, you only see a minimum increase. You've actually seen an $1,000 increase to the budget, but it's was already there for this year. And I think you'll
always see in this one we we increased the uh reserve fund 20,000 last year. We didn't get into that, but we thought it's just we don't know how the you know the the last 18 months have been. We we got that equipment wise, meaning supplies. Um so that gives us a little bit of a wiggle room. We think we're
good there, but we have a little bit of time to figure that out whether that needs to be adjusted. And that would only probably be like a a $5,000 increment if we were to change that. But for now, we're comfortable with leaving at 20 with a little time if we need to change it. >> We leave the rest of that blank. That
gets worked out with Barbara as she as she does the, you know, >> Yeah. And I think that ends up being some of the operating reserve. We're currently working on some of the indirect cost, you know, being uh how much labor we charge. We're working trying to transfer some of the omnibus
money towards the end of town. See where it comes up before town meeting. See if she could rename it the ambulance department. >> I think some people refer to as the ambulance fun. Anything works like that. Yeah. >> Yeah. So the next one is is that that
sheet that Barbara had sent out. So the the bottom section is essentially the slide you were just looking at. They're slightly different order on hers and then the top is is the revenues, you know, what we had have been taking historically. >> And I think this is always a work in
progress, right, Robert? till we get up to like the up to March, you know, we work back and forth. You know, we did our part on the top and then as things move along. Um, >> yeah, I think her note said that she's going to adjust that FY27, the 650. That's an estimate,
>> you know, what we expect to come out. I think she's going to adjust that up. >> Uh, was it 720? I think according to her note. >> Yeah. >> Um, and that's just based on what we've been seeing for receipts in the last, you know, 6 to 12 months. And you know, the revenues have been
strong. So, we're going to, you know, continue to work with like uh the finance team, the town manager, and the finance director to see if there's any, you know, help we can provide anywhere else, you know, since the receipts continue to be strong.
Um yeah, this is this is one of the reasons uh I had uh Barbara take the time to pull this together is that because I was curious is on so on the topline ambulance service 24 685
jumps up to 25 uh up to 864 864,000. So that's um we we >> Mhm. We need that. Not only need that, but we should be seeing that too with the amount of extra work we're doing.
So, so far this year we've done 530. Do you think we're going to come close to the 860 800? Do you think this year? >> Track surpassed last year by >> Yeah. >> So, we just I think one of them like I've learned from the finance director,
we better be cautious. Is it a trend >> that will continue >> or is it something, >> you know, it's just, you know, good billing practices, a lot of calls and it, you know, we have a down year. So, that's where I think I would say we'd like to be cautious about it, but we're willing to, you know, since we do have a
couple years or potentially two years, we'd look at see if we can, you know, if there's any other areas we can help out if that trend continues. Yeah, we were try I was trying to map it out like what the increase is going across and I think when you're looking at that so like the
grant took place in in 22 we hired those people. So that was the first time we could always staff two ambulances. So you see that jump >> and then you know into the next year year and a half we really worked on um making sure that we grabbed all the
billing documents meeting. We needed signatures, we needed insurance information. So you see you see another increase somewhere in that 24 to 5 range. We did we did the ALS adjustment on what we were charging and then just the general call volume increase year to
year to year and now you know for 26 you get the longer transport time. So they're they're higher bills. So, you know, will that trend continue just based on mileage and time and now rather than a 5-minute trip where I may do an IV and a medication, well, it's a
longer, you know, so now you may may get into more more services which then are more bills. So, will that you know, will that truck continue? I don't know. We'll tell you in a few years. That's it's really the only way to check. What do you attribute the increase in
calls to >> aging population? Like, you know, our population hasn't grown tremendously in the last four years, but certainly the the I think the who we're seeing for
patients is is aging, you know, >> and I think calls for service, people just call 911 for >> people less self. Yes. >> Call for anything. A lot of people don't have >> their own primary care so they use the ER like one. >> Okay.
>> Tending to increase. >> And then you have a few facilities too like >> the rehab assisted living, >> prisons, you know, institutional splits the strain. Yeah.
>> Okay. Question. the facility that's being built in Grten. Um, is that going to be something that you guys will be delivering >> potentially >> patients to? >> Okay. >> So, I know it's not opening tomorrow,
but just we talk about like the few years coming up sort of thing that might lessen times potentially and and >> for a certain population of patient. Sure. >> Yeah. >> Oh, >> I think Yeah, I think we would both agree on that. It's like a 12 bed
facility. So, it's a standalone emergency facility. But who you know certainly our protocols will direct us to what facility though, but that certainly will be an option. >> Regardless of what is there and how capable they are, that you still get
patient choice. >> So, you get in the back of my ambulance. I don't get to necessarily tell you where we go >> unless it's certain things. If it's trauma and you meet the point of entry, I don't have much choice. We're going to trauma center. If you're a STEM, you were going to a PCI CAT lab, right? Um, but if you're, you know, you get your
broken leg or diff breathing or just a general call, you can get in the truck and go, "Hey, my paperwork's at Clinton. I want to go to Clinton. I'm seeing it. You know, my doctor's through Southern New Hampshire. That's where I want to go." And regardless of whether or not Graten's open, we're not going to be able to change that. That's so there's a
time there's a limit in the in the protocols that it's 20 minutes past the closest emergency room. So right now close to our room in Flemster. They get an additional 20 minutes of drive time. That's a giant area. You'll see it in another couple slides. We've been doing the tour of central Massachusetts
>> and that's why. So will Groten narrow that? Sure. You know, now Graten's going to be >> I don't know what is that 3 miles. You know, you know, it's a 5minute ride. So now how far can I get in 25 minutes? It's going to narrow that down some, >> but it's still going to encompass the Emersons and the Listers.
>> Not as much as maybe I would hope is what you're saying. I I think that's a correct statement. Yeah, I would agree with that. Yeah. >> And correct, Darren. We we talked briefly. The the Groten won't have the same level of uh emergency cares as the other.
>> It will be an emergency room. Every emergency room in Massachusetts is an emergency room. >> Oh, okay. >> And that's 24/7. Not like an urgent care or anything. It's 247. Okay. >> You know, if they get rated as a stroke center, they will have imaging. You know, if if you know, whatever, you know, they're not a PCI center. It's not
bring a cardiac patient there. But if it's if it's labeled in emergency room, they all have the same capabilities. It's just you can't get admitted there. So, they're going to ship you out to Lemonster or another UMass hospital. >> And in their plan, there was a private ambulance service that would be attached
to that facility to make those transports. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I hope it changes. I I really hope it works. That would be very nice to go back to 10-minute transport times. >> Um, time will tell. Yeah. Yeah. >> And if I could add on that second line
where you see the uh federal reimbursement for ambulance Medicare. So we participate in a program called CPE. And so what that does, we fill out the information in the fall. This just gives us additional sums of money based on the Medicare transports that we did. We did
that again this year as we always have for probably the last um seven or 10 years. Um, and the expectation would be it would fall somewhere what you see in there between the 40 and $60,000 range is what I would guess. >> Yeah, if I remember that 60 was high and nobody
>> I think it was a co I think it was a co thing maybe some money they had but yeah so and we just got some back today. We got to approve it and that generally doesn't come till almost the end of the fiscal year. We might know the amount but we don't get those funds but we know they're coming. So, so that one is, you
know, just a fill in the blank later on. But I think if the takeaway is, uh, us along with the finance team is continuing to look at the trends for the, you know, ambulance fund, you know, revenues and, you know, we'll make adjustments or help out where we can.
>> Okay. >> Um, just two more questions before we move on then from this side. Uh just uh so what I'm hearing though the on the longer runs we do get higher revenue because >> yes and no. We we do more skills um to
to hit that ALS2. I I'd like to dig into it. I haven't gotten quite that far yet this year. You got to do a lot to hit ALS2 call. But if we hit that marker yes you will get a higher revenue. It's uh I don't remember ours off the top of my head. >> Yeah. It's probably 500 bucks. Yeah.
Okay. >> But I think the big difference is the loaded mileage where it used to be three in a show but now we're doing 12 or 16. So you get paid one way >> because we we build we what they call ancillaries. So we build we still build ancillary so they load them. So that
that is those bills will rack up for every call. >> Okay. >> So the other So then the other thing is that I I'm the we recently are set up to get some 830,000. We get to get that slide coming. Y
>> but that's going to be affecting this this P. Not really. >> Okay. Yeah, that's on our last slide if we can cover that too. >> Very good. Thank you. >> I think he just >> we run through these. >> Yeah, he just has some statistics to show. >> Yeah. So, this is just showing you what our year look like. Um so that uh like
we had said we did on the right hand side that disposition category is just telling us what it is. So that 2360 2326 is the number of patients we interacted with and if you go all the way to the left that purple that 1649 is
the number we transported. So to get you know the difference that's what all the other blocks are on that left graph you know between the refusals evaluation only where they may have triaged it down to a BLS crew we may you know 100 times recancing route um the 28 it's a treat
and transfer um so that that's that's a mix of ambulances coming to the town of air and meeting up with one of our crews because we were out of ambulances and a mix of us going to meet say life
um And then you get a handful where you get a call. It just it was called by a bystander. There's no patient. The treat and release uh DOAs transport only is that's a incorrect call. I'm not sure why there. And then the the assist was a
simple public assist. It shouldn't that was how it's how it was dispatched. So that that's a brief explanation what our year looks like. So the next one shows you. So we we do everything based on service types. We break it down to the ALS intercepts. That's the calls
going to neighboring communities. 901 BLS, that's calls in the town of air. 91 ALS, that's calls in the town of just ALS versus BLS. So, did we do advanced care or not? And then the 911 ALS and 91 BLS that are mutual aid. So, those are
out of town going another community, but as the transport ambulance, not as the intercept car. So, that's how we were dispatched. And the reason I did them separately is so you can you can see that's in that order. Looks like we went to the most intercepts. And if you go to the next slide, it's actually just on
transports. It actually balances up because the intercepts are where we get a lot of calls where, hey, they get two blocks down the road and the BLS crew gets on scene, they go, "Hey, we're all set. You can cancel." So that's why you see that reduction in call. So, it's actually tied this year between in town ALS
patients and out of town intercepts for the number one spot. I think it's 56. >> Um, and then the 440 ends up being in town BLS transports. And then the out of town mutual aid ALS is the 73. That's up
a little from last year. And then the 15 is the mutual aid BLS, which is down a lot from last year. Um, and I think that is a good sign because that says to us that people around us are paying attention to why we're calling. So where they used to just go, hey, we know air's
got an ambulance. Let's call air. Now they'll they'll triage that call and go, hey, this is a BLS call. Let's not take the ALS resource out of the area. And, you know, they'll call a neighboring community with a BLS truck for that patient that that's lower acutely. So, I was happy to see that one transition
this year, but that's, you know, our increase on the ALS side was probably only 10 or 15 runs, but the drop on the BLS out of town calls ended up being about 30 this year. So, it was nice to see the transition. So, the next one tells you where we've been going. That's all your destination
facilities. So, vast majority are still going out to Lemonster. Um, I don't think I saved it. I think it's in the like 54 56 percentile. Uh Emerson Hospital's next. Uh they're close to not quite 40%. And that's all
over the map. Um out to University, that's that's our closest trauma center. Um so that's usually a specialty trip out to Worcester. The other trauma center is Ley Hospital. Um so just depending on where we are and what traffic seems to be is where we'll end
up with those two. But as you can tell, we we go to UMass a lot more than we go to Ley. Uh, LOL Generals is our our preferred excuse me STEMI. So, heart attack PCI center. That's where you're going to go get your calf. Um, St. Joe's was that was a kind of a new add-on in
the last year that we've been traveling up there. And that's hit or miss as to I don't think we really take a lot up there from town. I think that's more or less that we end up in Groen and that patient's being seen in Asha now. >> Um, same thing with Southern Life. We, like I said, we use it a bunch more. Um,
you know, six times this year compared to we used to barely only hit it. Maybe, you know, a couple. Um, Clinton Hospital is now in the mix. Uh, UMass Memorial campus is in the mix and that's more or less when we're told to go there by medical control. And then Boston
Children's, we ended up out there a couple times. Newton bells laid a couple times. Break him Women's Those were all um most of those ones down there are are specialty reasons like you know going out to Mass General or Children's it was because that person had something very
unique that was treated in that ER by a surgeon down there and that's why they needed to return. Um that's not a that's not a hey I want to go to Children's so let's do it. It's you know they get an elab or they have a a weird complication that needs to be seen back at the house. So that's where we're heading. The next
one again just shows you the dispersion by day. >> Sorry, can I ask a question? >> Oh, sure. >> What um this is a curiosity question. What makes you choose like a life flight over just driving down to Boston? How severe it is? >> Time. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's um you know
the golden hour is the rule they throw at you. Um so, and then it's the acuity of the patient like how sick are they? the the crew on the helicopter can can do a lot more than we can, you know, just based on they can do RSI, they can they can start blood products. Um, you
know, they light comes out here with a it's a physician and a nurse where Medflight flies out with a nurse and a paramedic. They're all critical care trained. Um I know life flight um they they hound us on it that yeah we we may match in time of getting to UMass but
the benefit of us calling the helicopter is once you're in that helicopter in the EMS system. So they get you registered while you're flying and when you land and you go hey this kid needs ECMO you just go do it versus I bring you in the trauma bay you spend 15 minutes getting poked and prodded by the team of doctors
before they can move you upstairs. So, as much as our transport time may equal out where I might have to drive 5 minutes and catch a landing zone and then it's a seven-minute ride in a helicopter and hey, we could have been there already, there's a trade-off in well, you're already in the system as soon as you're in that helicopter cuz
they start loading you into their, you know, into their processes. So, >> and it could be an extraation time like we're at a particular call, the medical call to see if lifelight's available. By the time we get that patient out of the house into the back of the animal, once they get them stable, 10 minutes, 15, they're already landed, you know, so
you're you're only a five minute drive. So we're talking like a 40minut drive, let's say, plus the extrication time. So to his point, you're under an hour. This way, if you drive, you're almost there a little after. >> We're talking 30 35 minutes. >> And generally the medics are aware like
if they need something right away, they'll call instantly cuz sometimes if they're available, they come right out of Fishburg. And you get about 3 and a half minutes of flight time to get here from where they're where they're >> you go to the hospital. There's a pad out back, right? >> Uh no, we go to the high school park
predominantly. >> Use the baseball field at the park or the high school. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> We can land them just about anywhere. They'll land them at any open 100 by 100 square. You give them the GPS coordinates. >> Yep. >> And we I have it listed as Lifellight.
Um, it's a consortium around here. So, we call Lifellight just cuz that's what our policy says. By calling Lifellight, they actually just get you the closest aircraft. So, that might be MedFlight, that might be Dart, that might be LifeStar. Like, there's a lot of helicopters all around New England, and
you're just going to get the closest available aircraft. >> So, that that's the incident breakdown by day. The chief of San know, the average come out to about nine a day. That just shows you we're about equal. You know, Sundays, for whatever reason, seems to be a slight bit slower.
They're all about the same, 7 days a week. >> Pretty steady. >> Yep. So then the next one is call by hour. So that's what our 24-hour period looks like. Um so we really like the overnight dips off slightly and then
somewhere about the 8:00 mark in the morning, you know, uh we start to get busy again. And from that 9:00 through, you know, somewhere six, seven, eight at night, that's our peak. Um, so to go back to your question, that's what we're trying to focus that state money on is
how do I how do I impact that peak? >> Yes. So, we were um we got the 250 for impact money for capital right away and we moved forward with probably 12 chiefs or so with the help of our local
senators and reps both in Middle Sex and Worester counties to see if we could get additional funds for labor meaning towards you know hiring people or additional staffing that took several months but we were able to secure $10,000 uh $10 million which five went
solely for in the Nshoba Valley area and then it was 5 million to all the affected steward hospitals. We could still apply for that if we want but we were lucky enough to be just you know an impact for the Nshoba Valley area and that was uh VPH dispersed those funds
and it was based on our ambulance uh transport information that's reported to the state and we were able to get $845,000 out of that. So um we've submitted what we think is our the plan as as requested. We are waiting a word back
from them, but it would be um the start time was supposed to be January 1st, but it's we still haven't heard back from them. And it would end June 30th of 27. So, it's an 18-month period. We'd be able to spend the 8:45. And that was broken up as the deputy
said, you'll see those, you know, the high peak times for um ambulance calls. So, we were trying to have impact staff and is what we call it. So from 8 to 6:00 p.m. we would have two additional EMS people on board whether it's overtime or PDM.
I think we also accounted for maybe some additional >> I can just run. Yeah. >> So we're going to I guess >> what's the what's a shift typical shift for someone? >> So the the full-time staff is 24. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. They're in 6:30 in the morning to
6:30 the next morning. >> Okay. >> The fire prevention lieutenant's the only one that runs the odd shift. He's a He's four 10-hour days, Monday and Thursday. >> That's a great question, though, cuz we we deal with shifts all the time, but yeah, it's a 24-hour period. >> We're trying to set up an impact shift that'll that'll be just daytime hours.
So, we're trying to bring two people in so that whatever that first medical is, if it's on that fly car, if it's on one of those transport ambulances, they take it. And then that leaves the remainder of that normal four person shift to do hey all the things we're supposed to do. All the maintenance, all the training,
um just the other general calls we're going to run into. It just it's going to alleviate some um some of the stuff that's just getting pushed off to the side being done. >> Our hope is some of the call backs we don't run short either, but there's nobody around. You know, that's the idea of the impact. >> We look to six in those hours, we can
actually stab all three ambulances at times when they're needed. Is it hard to find call back people during like call back people can have day jobs? >> It's getting harder. >> Yeah, it is. >> Um the the call members are, you know, our numbers are down to less than 15, you know, of those how many are active.
How many actually work full-time jobs elsewhere? Um and then same thing with the the full-time members. You know, if you look 20 years ago, we all lived here. Now, people are trying to buy homes. Well, they're out to Westminster, Rutland, you know, they're 30, 40
minutes away trying to come back. Um, so that that just that response time on a on a recall is is widening. So, that's partly why we've looked at this, trying to use that impact money as, hey, let's have an experience, see, see how we can cover all that time.
So, that to run it down for you, it'll be two personnel on that about, you know, 8 to six window. You know, our theory is to do one on overtime out of the full-time staff, one either PDM, which is we're going to hire some just true PDMs from off outside the
department that are just EMS providers, as well as our call members that are qualified to work on the event. So, fill the two shifts a day. So, that'll be for the, you know, as much as the 18-month period as we can we can get once the contract's signed. Um, we're going to use another
uh $30,000 for medical school. Uh we hired a basic provider um a year ago coming up pretty soon. >> Um you know, we had a paramedic leave. Uh there wasn't a giant pool of paramedics to hire from him. So we decided to hire the best candidate versus let's go work for a paramedic.
>> He's a town resident. He lives in town. Super excited to be here. He's a good employee. Um he used to be a school teacher that taught uh biology, so I think he can handle medical school. Um, so he'll be through school in just about
as long as this grant period lasts. Um, and then because we're taking on this shift, um, you know, having to schedule two people a day, we're looking at having to purchase some additional software. We we're still archaic. We feel overtime on paper. Um, so we're
looking at having to buy some scheduling software and that'll just then help us out with payroll and everything else. So there's a there's a few thousand set aside for that. And then with all those pdeiums that we're hoping to hire, you know, we get 10 to 15 people. Well, that comes along with uniforms and that comes along with the need for two more radios
and having to do HRD physicals for all of them to onboard them. Um, so there's another what is it 10, 20, 31ish th,000 there for that. Um, we're looking at trying to cover callback money. Um, so we can match the money that the town put
into the budget. we can use this money up first so that way if the the budgeting money's left it reverts to free cash if if not we have a cushion of what's left in the budget to to cover both um and then there's a little bit of money for instructor hours and um
because we have to onboard these people our ALS agency's pretty uh we we stay pretty current you know so as we onboard ALS personnel we have to do all the things so we have to teach them our vents we have to teach them how to do surgical cries we do ultrasounds in the
field. Um we're starting to do um prehosp antibiotics and blood cultures. So all those things that we've taken on, you know, through the our medical director, we now have to teach all these employees as we bring them on. So we have some money for education and instructors and then a little bit of
funding trying to we carry a predium every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday now for an 8 hour period. We're going to try to expand that to the 24 so that cover that weekend hours when the fire prevention lieutenant were not in. So there's a fifth body in the building.
>> I think too this was just uh when we proposed this um originally to the state, we had asked for two years, they funded one. Uh as I've told town manager already, I've already put the bug in their ear that you know how important year two would
be. Um, we just got to keep that pressure on to make sure that's funded because I think if we're going to be successful at the end of this, like what would the end result be? You know, is there a day person we need to hire? I said, I think this those funds will help us get to that point and be able to make
a good, you know, decision as a town. And I think we need a two-year sample to see where where it brings us as well. But, um, certainly we'll continue to advocate for that second year as well. couple a couple observations. Um, so can
do we or have you records of the assist that we're doing by town? Not I'm not asking for it tonight, but I'm I'm thinking as we get look for money like this, this is, you know, state level, so
we're serving the bigger areas. So if we have something that we can say, you know, hey, this is how we're serving various the the other towns. >> Yeah. And that does break it down how which how we go to towns. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. We don't need it tonight. It's just I >> Yeah. No. And I think they're well aware
of what we do >> and I think some of the money that's been dispersed to the other communities is trying to make an impact, you know, not only to maybe take some of the pressure off of us, but to help out their own communities. But um I don't think everyone needs paramedics either.
Do we all agree with that? So we don't but but back when we started this program in ' 04, we thought that was the best step for air. Do we think it would get to where it is? Absolutely not. I mean we it was about air and the paramedics and it just grew. But so did other communities such as Littleton and
Peril and you know what I mean? But not every community one needs paramedics. No can it be afforded. Yeah. >> I mean because the question is do you want paramedics? good paramedics. >> And to be a good paramedic, you have to have the money. >> So So get Yeah. Hey, we could we can
fill that gap, but >> yeah, I I do have >> We need We need the funds. >> I I just didn't include it on here. I ran it the other day. Um 61% of our calls on air, so 1415. Uh we hit Grton 15% of the time. It's 339. Uh Shirley
was 10% at 244. Devon was 10%. >> Harvard was 45 calls 2%. Littleton 35 calls 2%. >> Pero it doesn't even register as a percent. It's two calls. Lemonster was one. Lunberg was one. Westbrook was one. They all register less than 1%.
>> And and let me ask you on on this top h have you had either well we've been sort of focusing on the ambulance but even with fire um instances where you've had to go to the business a lot some of the businesses in Devons now.
>> Yeah. I mean you go to the businesses as much as any other place. Yeah. >> Okay. >> And the way again I'm asking that because the number of businesses at Devons are growing >> and I certainly think they've increased their staffing and they're trying to go to that advanced level, you know, the paramedics as well. So I think they're
continuing to, you know, look out for themselves and make sure they're doing what they can too. >> Yeah. If they get their ALS license off the ground, I'd be curious to see what it does to our numbers, you know. Okay. So right now Devon has no paramedics. No. We so around us
we're the only paramedic agency. The next one out would be Littleton and then Westford, >> right? So we provide >> a lot of Broton, just about all of Shirley and all the de >> and Harvard. >> Uh we
Harvard split uh they use Pro and Bolton. Uh >> they will call us >> they will call us for backup this air road >> and they're they're going to the advanced level >> which provides some relief but even at the advanced level they still have to
call for paramedics if it's an ALS call just the protocols in Massachusetts haven't quite caught up to the rest of the country yet. >> Okay. Yeah. No. And then then the other the other thing is uh then one reason I've been looking at my phone is I'm going to go over to Harvard. They're
having a party for representatives seen inside. So, >> going to go visit and put a bug in here. >> Yep. >> And that was the last slide. Unless you got any followup questions. Yep. >> If we got an ambulance this year, when
would we actually get delivery? Is it as bad as the fire truck or is it two years? >> Yeah, two years. Just over two. Yeah, I had checked on that. I don't have the date, but it was it was like it was like two years and two months. >> Okay. But we want them to be apart as well. You know what I we don't want them really close. But we >> if we're getting one delivery this year
and order it this year, then they would still be two years apart. >> Yes. Two. Yeah. >> Yep. So it still is that >> I think at this point we're stuck having to order them right now. And then hopefully with that if we keep that third, we can like get it into a rotation to limp it along a little while
maybe on the next the next one. You have to try to spread that back out. We're going to have to see what it looks like. Like I don't know. Oh, I don't know what to tell you, but it's worth 150. >> And that's our best guess. We think it's a good idea, but we'll see when it comes to the fall. We don't want to keep something that is just going to cost us money. You know, we would just continue
the model that we always have, but it's something we should look at. I think potentially, um, we might have, you know, a a partner that we can partner up with that if their ambulances break, they can use it. You know, we might get some storage out of it. You know, it's kept inside. So, >> all it's going to take is one one thing
to break and you're going to end up trading that ambulance in. >> Yeah. You know, there's the ambulances we have now all have caught loaders. They're hydraulic driven. You know, the cs are all hydraulic. The manufacturers tell you they get a 10 10 year lifespan. >> Yeah. >> You know, so we're going to try to limp
that thing along. You got to get it out here. It'll be inspected every year. At some point, that thing's going to fail an inspection. It's just not going to be worth fixing. And they're super expensive. >> You know, they're 35,000 40,000 >> 40 to 50 with everything. I think it's a lot. >> When the thing breaks, that's going to be the end of it. And that and that that
might that's a great point because that might drive us where it's not worth it because there's maintenance to do with that. If they're saying it's extraordinarily expensive, it might be not worth. You just take your limited money you get for a trade in >> and you just get rid of it then. But it's something we need to look at for
sure before we trade it in. Yeah. >> You know, is it a good value and a return for us or do we just keep what we've always had and we have that spare car? If one of the, you know, three EMS units are out, we just bring the spare car up. So, we're going to take a close look at that. >> Yeah, we like we always had in our head
it's five years. Five years, five years. That that is certainly going to shrink. What does it shrink to? I I don't know. Is it going to get down to three and a half, four? I don't know. I'm not sure. We're going to have to do some trial and error and watch what what the uh the service life costs are in the next
couple years. >> Yeah, I think we got some good ambulance returns. We got some impact money come. We'll see what the the next year brings us. >> Okay. Um just uh Jen, uh do you have any
questions for uh the chief or deputy chief? >> No. Thank you very much. >> Good. Thank you, Jen. You're welcome. >> Um then uh I'll open it uh for public input. >> Paul,
it does. I just >> Good evening. I'm in my kitchen and I'm sorry if I'm echoing so I'm trying to modulate my voice. Um I had a question from earlier about what you discussed regarding capital planning Mr. Chair.
Are you taking a formal vote on the capital planning decisions or if you are when? Oh, no. Pauline, all as part of our uh agendas during this time of year, since uh finance comm uh
since there are finance committee members that sit on capital planning and sit on rate review, um we have an agenda item where the the member, finance committee member that went to that committee meeting, say either rate
review or capital planning, comes back and just makes a updates the finance committee on what happened at count capital planning or rate review. So those are ma merely uh updates andformational items only for the finance committee.
>> No, if I understand that um I was at capital planning I think last night. Um capital planning approved Robert you can help me. I don't know how many millions and of dollars in borrowing and uh
appropriation and I believe it is the c finance committee's responsibility to endorse that because you represent the resident. So I'll leave that hanging. I'm not expecting an answer. I would
rather move forward to what Chief Johnson and Deputy Chief Janice Kevitz presented to you tonight. And if any of you, and I'm sorry, Tim, this is a broken record for me. Um, if any of you
have any questions about what our fire department does or needs for funds, please ask to shadow them, spend a day in their office, listen to their radio calls, understand what they do 24 hours
a day. It is unfathomable. And um, I do want to ask Chief a question. Did I just hear that you're hoping to hire two more personnel? >> No. What we're going to do with that impact money, they wouldn't be hiring as
to be taken on into the operating cost. That would just be funded either on overtime or part-time or pdeium staff with that impact money. >> Two more people are two more people whoever pays for it in my view. So, I I thank you for that and I'm glad you're
moving forward. And as I said the other night, whatever you need, you just ask. I'll support you. Thank you all. >> Thank you, Paulie. >> Good night. >> Anyone else? >> Okay, with that, um, Chief, Deputy
Chief, thank you very, very much for taking the time and to come out and and put all this information together. >> Thanks for having us both. >> Good job. >> Appreciate it. Anything else? Just would be happy to come back. >> Yeah. Great. Thank you very much. You're >> welcome. >> Okay. Um so uh we've covered public
input on our agenda. Next item is our next meeting is two weeks February 19th and we have anch. >> Mhm. >> Dr. Pigeon Pigeon. >> So okay get to so will be good good
presentation. Um anything else? >> Like to make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> All those in favor? Hi. >> Hi, >> Jen. >> Hi. >> I Great. Thank you very much.